Goleta, Calif., June 24, 2011 – A recently published paper from Vascular BioSciences (VBS) in collaboration with Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and the University of South Alabama has been selected by the Faculty of 1000 (F1000) as one of the top 2 percent of all published articles in the biological and medical sciences in 2011. F1000 is a global collaboration of the worlds leading scientists who identify and evaluate the most important articles in biology and medical research publications.

The paper, “Peptide-Directed Highly Selective Targeting of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” is published in the current issue of the American Journal of Pathology, was authored by Takeo Urakami, Tero A.H. Järvinen, Michie Toba, Junko Sawada, Namasivayam Ambalavanan, David Mann, Ivan McMurtry, Masahiko Oka, Erkki Ruoslahti, and Masanobu Komatsu. The paper was selected for The Faculty of 1000 Biology by F1000 member Dr. Yuichiro Suzuki, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The article describes the discovery of CAR, a novel peptide that specifically targets and penetrates the vasculature of lungs affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension. Reviewer Suzuki commented, “Specific targeting of drugs to affected areas within the pulmonary vasculature should significantly advance the treatment strategies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a serious and lethal condition. The authors discovered a peptide which specifically targets affected tissues of remodeled pulmonary vasculature, providing a promising technology for drug delivery to treat PAH patients.”

“We are honored to have our paper highlighted by such a prestigious group as the Faculty of 1000. To have our paper selected by such an elite group of reviewers validates the tremendous potential our discoveries have in the PAH field,” said senior author Dr. Masanobu Komatsu, Ph.D., of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in Lake Nona, Florida.

First author Dr. Takeo Urakami, Ph.D., also of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in Lake Nona, Florida, stated, “To our knowledge, this paper presents the first technology that allows for the selective targeting of PAH and we believe that the future breakthroughs in PAH lies in targeted therapies utilizing molecules like the CAR peptide. To have our paper considered to be among the top two percent of scientific articles in the biological and medical sciences by the F1000 further justifies our approach to the development of PAH treatments.”

“Our goal as a company is to provide therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of those suffering from life-threatening diseases like PAH. We believe CAR has tremendous potential to help PAH patients and are honored to have our efforts and progress acknowledged by the Faculty of 1000,” commented co‒author and VBS Pharmaceuticals CEO, David Mann.

Sanford‒Burnham Medical Research Institute is dedicated to discovering the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow. Sanford‒Burnham, with operations in California and Florida, is one of the fastest‒growing research institutes in the country. The Institute ranks among the top independent research institutions nationally for NIH grant funding and among the top organizations worldwide for its research impact. From 1999 – 2009, Sanford-Burnham ranked #1 worldwide among all types of organizations in the fields of biology and biochemistry for the impact of its research publications, defined by citations per publication, according to the Institute for Scientific Information. According to government statistics, Sanford-Burnham ranks #2 nationally among all organizations in capital efficiency of generating patents, defined by the number of patents issued per grant dollars awarded.

Sanford‒Burnham utilizes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases. The Institute is especially known for its world‒class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies. Sanford‒Burnham is a nonprofit public benefit corporation.

The University of South Alabama, a diverse and vibrant public university, is making a difference in the lives of the people of Alabama and the nation through teaching, research, service and health care. The University offers a wide range of high-quality undergraduate and graduate academic programs, and the USA Health System, which includes the College of Medicine, USA Physicians, USA Mitchell Cancer Institute and USA Hospitals, provides state‒of‒the‒art health care and medical education.